Just as last Saturday’s loss for Texas A&M might have been jeopardizing to Jimbo Fisher’s career, Saturday’s game for Ole Miss against Alabama might be a career-launching game for Lane Kiffin.
This will be the first time Saban and Kiffin have faced off against each other as head coaches since Kiffin was at Tennessee in 2009.
And that game came down to a blocked field goal, and Alabama won 12-10 and went on to win their first national title under Nick Saban.
But since then, Kiffin has been on a journey, and on a mission, to prove he is capable of being a successful head coach.
When Kiffin joined Nick Saban as offensive coordinator at Alabama from 2014-2016, I don’t think anyone expected Kiffin to help Alabama’s offense in the magnitude he did.
First off, he’s responsible for Alabama changing their mindset around dual threat quarterbacks.
Before Kiffin, Alabama has relied heavily on pro-style quarterbacks such as AJ McCarron, Jake Coker, etc. Although Blake Sims was more mobile than quarterbacks in the past, he still wasn’t a Johnny Football type of dual threat quarterback.
Then came Kiffin, and he helped change the idea around dual threat quarterbacks while brining in Blake Barnett, Jalen Hurts, and Tua Tagovailoa.
And it worked.
Alabama’s offense transformed, and they’ve never turned back.
But Saban and Kiffin didn’t necessarily “click,” and it was evident the two needed to part ways in late December of 2016.
Since Kiffin’s departure, he’s been on a mission to prove himself worthy of coaching his own team.
When he found his way to Florida Atlantic in 2017, he quickly impacted that program as well.
Within his first season, the Florida Atlantic Owls went from starting 1-3 in the beginning of the season to winning 10 straight games, and winning the C-USA conference championship against University of North Texas, 41-17. He also helped lead the Owls to a major 50-3 win over Akron in the Boca Raton Bowl during his first season.
In 2019, Kiffin once again led FAU to a 10-win season and a second C-USA championship.
In Kiffin’s time at FAU, the Owls went 27-13.
So when Ole Miss was looking for a new head coach, Kiffin was an immediate candidate.
He had plenty of SEC experience, and although his track record before Alabama was shaky due to his personal choices, since his time in Tuscaloosa, he seemed to be more settled and secure.
So far in his first season with the Ole Miss Rebels, he has led the Rebels to a 2-1 start. Rebels’ quarterback Matt Corrall is off to an impressive start, and it’s evident that Kiffin is coaching with purpose this season.
On Saturday, Kiffin and Saban meet up for the first time since his departure from Alabama after the 2016 season.
And if we’re being honest, Kiffin is probably the only former coach under Saban with the ability to beat the Crimson Tide.
And Paul Finebaum agrees. In December of last year, Finebaum had this to say:
“I firmly believe that … Lane Kiffin is going to be the first Saban disciple to beat the GOAT.”
It could happen, and only time will tell.
But when you look at teams Alabama is playing this year against former Alabama coaches, Lane Kiffin has the best chance of beating Nick Saban.
I’m not saying it will happen, but if it did, it would certainly be a career-launching win for Lane Kiffin if the Rebels beat the Tide on Saturday.
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